2004 SAAB 9-3 warning light

188 Starting and drivingIt is essential when a donor battery is to be
used to jump start the car that the jump
leads be connected correctly to prevent
arcing.
To jump start your vehicle:
1 Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.2 Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure the
vehicles are not touching each other. If a
poor connection on the negative jumper
cable should exist, it is possible for
damage to be caused to electrical
systems/components of either vehicle
should inadvertent contact be made.
You would not be able to start your car
and bad grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off lights that are not needed, and
radios. This will avoid sparks and help
save both batteries and it could save
your radio.4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.NOTICEIgnoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be
covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your car by pushing or pull-
ing it could damage your vehicle, even if
you have a manual transmission. If you
have an automatic transmission, your
vehicle cannot be started by pushing or
pulling it.
NOTICEIf the other system is not a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged.
WARNING
You could be injured if the vehicles roll.
Set the parking brake firmly on each vehi-
cle. Put an automatic transmission in P
(Park) or a manual transmission in
Neutral.
NOTICEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.Jump starting
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189 Starting and driving
5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (–) will go to negative (–). Do
not connect (+) to (–) or you will get a
short that could injure you or would
damage the battery and maybe other
parts as well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the negative (–) cable to
the good battery’s negative terminal.
9 Attach the cable to the discharged
battery’s negative terminal.
10 Start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11 Try to start the vehicle with the
discharged battery. If it does not start
after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
12 Remove the cables in reverse order to
prevent electrical shorting. Take care
that they do not touch each other or any
other metal.
Using a battery charger/starter unitTo avoid damaging the car’s electrical
system and electronics, the following rules
must be followed when charging the battery
or jump starting the car.
 If the charger or starter unit can be set to
different voltages (6V/12V/18V/24V), 12V
must be selected.
 Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
supplied with the charger or starter unit.
 No other apparatus that are grounded or
connected to the mains must be con-
nected to the car during charging or jump
starting.
 The charger or starter unit must under no
conditions produce a voltage greater
than:
 16V continuous
 18V for 60 min.
If you are unsure about the charge rating of
the unit, disconnect the battery clamp from
the positive terminal before connecting the
unit to the battery.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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198 Car careChanging filter
1 Unscrew the oil filter cap.
 Lift the cap slightly and carefully pry
apart the cap and the filter housing.
 Remove the filter cap.
2 Remove the filter. Have paper towelling
or a rag at hand to catch the oil that
escapes from the filter.
3 Fit a new filter.
4 Fit a new O-ring in the cap. Apply a small
amount of new engine oil to the O-ring.
5 Screw on the cap. The correct tightening
torque is 25 Nm (18 lbf. ft).
Air filter
Transmission fluidManual transmissionCheck and top up the oil in accordance with
the service program.Automatic transmissionCheck and top up the oil in accordance with
the service program.
WARNING
To ensure reliable operation, only use
an air filter recommended by Saab
Automobile AB.
Oil filter
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202 Car careBattery
Check the charge state and electrolyte level
of the battery regularly.If frequent short journeys are made, the
battery may need extra charging. This can
be done with a battery charger or by taking
the car for a long run.
If the battery is not being charged while the
engine is running, the following message
will appear on the SID:
Check the drive belt (see page 205). If the
belt is damaged, the engine may overheat,
the battery may not be charged and the A/C
compressor may not work.
WARNING
 When working on the battery, highly
explosive gas can build up. A spark
could ignite this gas that collects
around the battery.
Therefore, always avoid sparks and
open flames in the vicinity of the
battery.
 The battery contains corrosive sulphu-
ric acid. Always wear a face mask or
goggles when working on the battery.
 If battery acid gets into the eyes or
splashes onto skin or clothing, wash
the affected area liberally with water.
If acid gets into the eyes or a large
quantity makes contact with the skin,
seek medical help.
 Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds. Wash your hands after
handling
NOTICEA discharged battery can freeze and frac-
ture. Batteries should therefore always be
stored away from sub-zero temperatures.
Battery not charging.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
Checking the battery electrolyte level.
Level correct if level indicator dark.
Battery should be changed if indicator is
light
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208 Car careChanging bulbsAutochecking of lightsThe bulbs that are most important from the point of view of traffic
safety are monitored by the car’s electrical system. If one of these
bulbs should fail, a message will be displayed on the SID.
Example of SID message:
The following bulbs are not checked: parking lights, front fog lights,
reversing lights, license plate lighting, side marker lights and side
direction indicators.If a brake light bulb fails
If a brake light bulb fails, the adjacent taillight will act as a brake light
to ensure traffic safety. Change the broken bulb when possible.
All rear light bulbs are of the same type and rated 21 W, with the
exception of the license plate lighting which is rated 5 W.
Wrong bulb fitted
If a dipped or main beam bulb of too high a rating is fitted, a bulb
failure message will be shown on the SID (a too high wattage bulb
can damage the reflector).
If the following message is displayed but the bulb shines, it is most
likely that an incorrect bulb has been fitted.
Note:
When changing bulbs, fit the same type of bulb (e.g. Long-Life)
as that removed.
Headlight aiming, page 257.
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine bay, switch off the engine
to avoid the danger of fingers and hands being injured by moving
parts.
The radiator fan can cut in even when the engine is switched off.NOTICESwitch off the ignition before changing a bulb, to avoid possible
short-circuiting.
Left low beam failure.
Right high beam failure.
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209 Car care
Bi-Xenon headlight, main and dipped beam (certain
variants only)Bi-xenon headlights produce roughly two times as much light as
halogen bulbs and have a significantly longer service life.
The lamp units consist of a gas discharge lamp containing xenon.
When the lights are switched on a very high voltage activates the
xenon gas. The lamps soon reach full intensity.
Cars with Bi-Xenon headlights have automatic levelling. The level-
ling system is comprised of two sensors, one on the front suspen-
sion and one on the rear suspension, and a control unit by the engine
bay fuse box. Headlight alignment is adjusted automatically to the
car’s load to prevent dazzling drivers in oncoming traffic.
If a fault is detected in the system, the following message will be dis-
played on the SID:
WARNING
Bi-Xenon headlights are high tension. All work on Bi-Xenon head-
lights, including changing bulbs, must be carried out by dealer
personnel.
Headlight levelling
malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Contact a Saab dealer to have a Bi-Xenon
headlight changed
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213 Car care
Side-mounted turn signal bulbs1 Slide the lamp fitting forward so that its
rear end can be pulled out.
2 Turn the bulb holder counterclockwise
and withdraw it from the lamp fitting.
Change the bulb.
3 To fit, engage the two catches on the
rear edge of the lamp fitting with the
edge of the opening. Then press in the
front edge of the lamp fitting so that the
groove in the spring engages the plastic
edge.
Front fog lights
1 Undo one screw in the wheel housing.
Lower the air shield.
2 Remove the protective cover. Release
the two spring clips securing the bulb.
3 Unplug the connector.
4 Change the bulb. Try not to touch the
glass part of the bulb with your fingers.
The height of the beam can be adjusted
using a screwdriver inserted through the
hole in the lower grille adjacent to the lens.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack.
 Always use axle stands. Refer to
the information on jacks on pages 245
and 246.
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235 Car care
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applica-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width. For exam-
ple:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature
A
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-
tion, which grades tires by treadwear, trac-
tion and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United
States.) The grades are molded on the side-
walls of most passenger car tires. The Uni-
form Tire Quality Grading system does not
apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12
inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-pro-
duction tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary
with respect to these grades, they must also
conform to federal safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire Perfor-
mance Criteria (TPC) standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and a half (1.5) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. The rela-
tive performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled condi-
tions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance. Warn-
ing: The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis-
sipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temper-
ature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
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